Microsoft reels in YouGov, NBC, Rock the Vote and more for Xbox US election hub

Yesterday, Google announced its YouTube Elections Hub in the build up to the 2012 Presidential Election, and today Microsoft follows suit with its own Elections offering for Xbox 360 users.

The computing giant has teamed up with a host of third parties to launch the new service, with Election 2012 on Xbox Live letting US-based users watch and interact with live election coverage of the presidential debates. They’ll also be able to learn about the candidates and issues at hand from Face the Facts USA, register to vote through Rock the Vote, and participate in daily polling from YouGov.

Additionally, NBCNews.com will be rolling out election programming each day, drawing in viewers with the latest news and analysis about the election. The first wave of content will be broadcast from next Monday, August 27.

Viewers will be able to interact, in real-time, throughout the three scheduled presidential debates, and view live feeds from the Republican and Democratic national conventions. Additional original programming will be featured through the Election Hub too.

“Technology has been a transformative force in politics during recent years,” says Fred Humphries, vice president of government affairs at Microsoft.

“The launch of the Election 2012 Hub on Xbox LIVE marks another exciting moment of change,” he continues. “This platform will innovate how some voters engage in the political process, and it provides greater access to valuable information such as the perspectives of youth at our town halls, newscasts and voter registrations. By bringing the elections directly into the home through this Xbox platform, we hope to encourage greater participation in the democratic process this fall.”